See? I really did love this show once.

I guess you all know that "The Fairly Oddparents" is concluding its "Wishology" thing tonight. But, given news that the show's first season is finally coming to DVD, I'd like to take this opportunity to look back at a time when the show didn't suck nearly as hard.

It's less a retrospective than me talking about my ten favorite episodes:

Back to the Norm - Norm Macdonald's sarcastic delivery enlivened "Genie Meanie Minie Moe" and this episode, which saw Crocker trying (yet again) to expose Timmy's secret. I fail to understand why the character was reprised (in "Fairy Idol") if they were unable to procure the man for whom the character was clearly created...but then, I didn't think that Ace Ventura Jr. was all that terrible, so what do I know?

The Big Scoop - "A Wish Too Far" as seen through the eyes of school paper reporters Chester and A.J. A reference to "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead"? In a Butch Hartman (co-written with Steve Marmel) script? Actually, this was pre-"Channel Chasers", so it's not so unbelievable. One could quibble about how Chester and A.J.'s voices changing since "...Wish..." (not me) or the loss of the wonderful delivery of "I inherited the internet!" (it was perfect), but there's much to enjoy, such as Mr. Birkenbake and Timmy's file.

Boy Toy - Something made clear by the comments and commercials for "Wishology" is that Timmy and Trixie will get together. That's not so bad. After all, there just aren't enough couples in modern animation where the girl who can't (or won't) sack up emotionally treats the guy she supposedly loves like the floor around a blind man's urinal. That said, this episode shows Vicky's Timmy-loving sister, Tootie, at her best: boy-crazy, but sensible. The non-sequiturs spouted by the Crimson Chin doll are a riot.

Deja Vu - Utterly ridiculous but funny outing where Timmy wants to re-do the events of his life, thanks to Cosmo as a magic watch. Unfortunately, Vicky gets her hands on it. Does in 11 minutes what "Channel Chasers" failed at with seven times the length. Neat cameo by Mark Chang.

Engine Blocked - Mr. Turner would rather spend time with his newly-restored Stryker Z than with his son, so Timmy wishes to be the car...then he gets stolen. Chock full of overdone running gags, but thankfully, they're pretty funny ("You talk, in a nasally voice...?", "No time to decipher your hip young lingo.").

Go Young, West Man - Catman longs for the childhood he lost out on while he was a star, so Timmy wishes that Catman could be a kid. Catman's history on television is hilarious and "School is for kids who can't act!" is still one of my favorite lines on the show.

Movie Magic - Timmy hopes to impress Trixie by entering the Dimmadance Film Festival. Too bad his reach exceeds his grasp. The scenes with Sylvester Carbone and Arnold Schwartzengerman are definitely the best.

The Same Game - Timmy's wish for everyone to be the same leads to magical buildup, where none of the fairies can locate, or grant wishes to, their kids. Cosmo and Wanda's search for Timmy and especially "There's no time to waste!" make for terrific gags.

The Switch Glitch - Tired of Vicky's humiliation, Timmy wishes he could babysit her for a change. Five-year-old Vicky is adorable and the tape recorder gag is quite sharp, especially at the end.

TransParents - There was actually a time when Crocker's 'Fairies!' schtick wasn't labored or irritating? ZOMG! In his first episode, he requests from Timmy a parent-teacher conference. No problem; just have Cosmo and Wanda pretend to be Timmy's parents.